Steam-turbine packing-gland.



W. J. A. LONDON.

STEAM TURBINE PACKING GLAND.

APPLICATION IILED NOV.10, 1911.

1,037,647, I Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

5 mac ntoz W. i. A. LONDON.

STEAM TURBINE PACKING GLAND.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1911.

1 ,O37,647, Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

WILLIAM J. A. LONDON, ,OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE TERRY STEAM TURBINE COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

STEAM-TURBINE PACKING-GLAND.

Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

Serial No. 659,479.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. A. LON- DON, subject of King George V, residing at Hartford, Hartford county, Connecticut,

have invented certain new and useful Im- A further object is to provide a gland with means whereby pressure on the packing may be increased or decreased-at will to render the same more effective.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear from the following description, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in WhiCl1- Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a steam turbine to which the invention is applied; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of the invention adapted for different conditions of use; and Fig. 3 is a view of a further modification.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 1, 1 indicates the turbine casing, 2 the rotor and 3 the rotor shaft upon which the rotary is suitably secured. 4 indicates the steam jet and5 a steam inlet. The packing gland comprises a sleeve 6, between which and the shaft 3 are interposed suitable flexible packing rings 7 of usual One end of this sleeve is mounted in a case 8, between which and the sleeve packing rings 9 are interposed. The

is interposed a carbon packing ring 15. This enlarged end of the sleeve 6 is supported from the gland casing 8 by means of a flexible supporting member in the form of a rolled thinplate 16. If a vacuum exists on the inside of the turbine casing there will be a tendency to draw the whole gland in, thereby causing the shoulder 13 of the sleeve 6 to bear harder on the carbon packing ring 15. Should this pressure of the sleeve on the carbon packing ring not be sufiicient to prevent.leakage, this pressure may be increased by admitting steam within the gland casing 8 through suitable inlets 17 connected with the steam supply. By this means pressure within the gland casing and against the inner side of the flexible member 16 may be increased, thus I increasing the pressure of the sleeve shoulder 13 against the carbon packing ring 15. In case of back pressure within the turbine casing, the entire gland may be reversed, bringing the flexible member 16 on the outer side of the casing.

In the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 2, the gland is adaptable to either vacuum or back pressure. In this construction, short, sleeves 1818 are fixed to the shaft 3, each of said sleeves being provided with an annular rib 19. Overlying each rib 19 is a channel ring 20, between the side flanges of which and the rib 19 are interposed carbon packing rings 21. Each of these channel rings 20 is supported from what may betermed a gland casing ring 22 seated within the shaft aperture of the turbine casing by means of thin flexible plates or rings 23, similar to the plates or supporting members 16 shown in Fig. 1.. With this construction it will be seen that vacuum within the turbine casing will cause the carbon rings at one side of the annular ribs 19 to bear harder thereon, whereas back pressure within the turbine casing will cause the carbon rings uponthe opposite sides to be held more closely against the annular ribs 19.

In'the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3, sleeves 24 are mounted upon the shaft 3, each sleeve having an annular rib 25, against which the carbon packing material between said shoulders, a casing is pressed by a ring-like member 2i, supported from the gland casing ring 28 byineans of the thin flexible plates or annular ribs 29. in this construction it will be seen that vacuum within the turbine casing will cause the ring 27 to bear harder against the carbon ring 26, and by admitting steam within the gland ring 28 through suitable ape. r s, both rings. 27 will be caused to press more firmly upon the carbon rings 26.

ln all three terms of the device above described it "will be seen that the shaft and its gland are free to float in all directions, as well as being capable of endwise motion. This in the first form is due to the packing rings 9 surrounding the gland sleeve 6 and the flexibility of the member 16, ln the form shown in 2, the flexible members 23, and in the form show n in 3 the flexible members 29, allow for this tree movement of ti e shaft and gland rings or sleeve.

-While l have herein described preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that the same may be altered in details and arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claims.

What l claim is:

1. A packing gland tor shafts comprising in combination with a shaft having an annular shoulder thereon, an annular member slidably mounted on said shalt, a pack ing interposed between said shoulder and said member, a casing, a flexible member secured to said casing and supporting said annular member, said parts being so construc ed and arranged that variations of pressure upon either side at said flexible member will cause pressure of said annular member on said packing.

2. A packing gland "for shafts comprising in combination with a shaft having an annular shoulder, an annular member capable of longitudinal movement relative to said shaft, packing material interposed between said shoulder and said annular member, a casing for said annular member, a flexible member inclosing one end of said casing and supporting said annular member, and means for varying the pressure within said casing and against said flexible member to vary the pressure of said annular member on said packing material.

3. A packing gland for shafts comprising thecombination with a shaft having an an nular shoulder, a sleeve on said shalt having a shoulder opposite the shaft shoulder, packing inclosing saidsleeve, a flexible dia-, phragm inclosing one end of said casing and supporting said sleeve, said parts being so constructed and arranged that reduction of pressure upon the outer side of said diaphragin and'increase of pressure upon the inner side of said diaphragm will increase the pressure of said sleeve shoulder on sai packing material.

4:. A packing gland comprising the combination with an engine shaft having an annular shoulder, of an annular member capable of slidable movement on said shaft, packing material between said annular member and said shaft shoulder, a casing inclosing said annular member, a flexible diaphragm inclosing one end of said casing and supporting said annular member, and means to admit fluid under pressure within said casing and against said diaphragm to vary the pressure of said annular member on said packing material.

5. A packing gland comprising the combination with a shaft having a plurality of annular shoulders thereon, of an annular pressure member adjacent each shoulder and capable of longitudinal movement relatively to said shaft, packing material between each shoulder and its adjacent annular member, a casing surrounding said members, a flexible diaphragm inclosing each end of said casing, each diaphragm supporting one of said annular pressure members, said parts being so constructed and arranged that reduction of pressure upon the outer side of either diaphragm will increase the pressure of the pressure member carried thereby on the adjacent packing material, and means for admitting "luid under pressure within said casing whereby increase of pressure within said casing will likewise cause increase of pressure or the annular pressure members upon the adjacent packing material.

61A packing gland for fluid turbines, comprising a turbine casing, a rotor within said casing, a shaft therefor extendingthrough an opening in said casing, said shaft having an annular shoulder thereon, an annular pressure member slidably mounted on said shaftopposite said shoulder, packing material between said shoulder and said annular pressure member, chamber surrounding said shalt, a flexible diaphragm inclosing one end of said chamber and supporting said annular pressure member, said parts being so constructed and arranged that reduction of pressure within the turbine casing will increase the pressure of said annular pressure member upon said packing material and increase of pressure within said chamber will likewise cause increase of pressure of said annular pressure member upon said paclrlng material.

7. A packing gland for sliait'ts comprising, in combination with a shaft having an annular flange or shoulder thereon, a casing surrounding said shaft, a gland member within said casing and connected therewith by means of a flexible pressure member a free movement of said shaft in all directions packingd interposed bbetweeri said shoulder is permitted. and sai gland mem er, sai parts bein so constructed and arranged that variation s of WILLIAM LONDON 5 pressure upon either side of said pressure Witnesses:

member will cause pressure of said gland JOHN D. STOUT, member on said packing, and whereby said Enw. T. Fr'rz-GERALD. 

